Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took down a controversial post on x (formerly Twitter) in which he deflected allegations that he had been warned on Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. In the post, which appeared on Saturday night several hours after he held his first press conference since the war began, he said that he had received no early warning for the unprecedented attack – in which some 1400 Israeli residents were murdered after several thousand Hamas terrorists breached the Gaza fence –and shifted the responsibility to the Shin Bet security agency and the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate. This caused a political firestorm and Netanyahu took down the controversial statement on Sunday morning.
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Following the angry responses that the Prime Minister's Office received after the tweet,it issued the following statement: "During the night, after the press conference, serious accusations were made that the prime minister had received specific early warnings about the war, which was not the case. The prime minister responded to this. The prime minister is focused on prosecuting the war and has full confidence in the IDF and security agencies in their ability to achieve the goals of the war."
Video: Shoes of the kidnapped Israelis on display / Dor Malul
Before the tweet was taken down, Benny Gantz, who currently serves as a minister without portfolio in the government after joining an emergency government from the Opposition, slammed Netanyahu's post and wrote on his Twitter account that the prime minister should retract his statement: "When we are at war, leadership needs to show responsibility, make the right decisions, and strengthen the forces so that they can accomplish what we demand of them. Any other action or statement undermines the people's steadfastness and strengths."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid also commented on the matter, saying that the prime minister had "crossed a red line." Lapid attacked Netanyahu, saying that "while IDF soldiers and commanders are fighting courageously against Hamas and Hezbollah, he is trying to shift the blame onto them instead of providing them with support. Attempts to evade responsibility and blame the security agencies weaken the IDF at a time when it is fighting Israel's enemies. Netanyahu must apologize for his words."
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, also reacted with condemnation, saying that the prime minister must remove the tweet: "We are at war."
Another former IDF Chief of Staff who criticized Netanyahu for his words was Gadi Eizenkot, who is a member of the security cabinet and the Likud party. He called for him to "immediately stop criticizing the security officials under his responsibility." He added: "At this time, it is crucial to provide full support to the heads of the security establishment and stand by their side unconditionally. As someone who has watched how they have been leading the operation after the painful blow we have suffered, I have no doubt about their ability to attain the goals of the war. Now is the time for action and determination to achieve the goals, eliminate Hamas, bring back the captives, and settle the score with anyone who dared to raise their hand against the State of Israel and its citizens."
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